Seiji Ozawa
1 September 1935 – 6 February 2024
Seiji Ozawa was a Japanese conductor who served as music director of the Boston Symphony Orchestra for 29 years, the longest tenure in that orchestra's history, and later of the Vienna State Opera. Trained under Hideo Saito in Tokyo and mentored by Herbert von Karajan and Leonard Bernstein, he also led the Toronto and San Francisco symphonies and co-founded the Saito Kinen Orchestra.
Lived at the same time
Well-documented people whose lives overlapped with Seiji Ozawa.
- Adonis (1930–present) Overlapped 89 years →
- Alice Munro (1931–2024) Overlapped 89 years →
- Arvo Pärt (1935–present) Overlapped 89 years →
- Asha Bhosle (1933–2026) Overlapped 89 years →
- Athol Fugard (1932–2025) Overlapped 89 years →
- Buzz Aldrin (1930–present) Overlapped 89 years →
Life events
He was born to Japanese parents in Japanese-occupied Manchuria and moved to Japan as a child.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAfter a hand injury ended his ambitions as a pianist, he turned to conducting and composition under Saito in Tokyo.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgThe victory in France brought him to the attention of Charles Munch and led to study at Tanglewood and with Herbert von Karajan in Berlin.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgHe accompanied Bernstein and the orchestra on its tour of Japan.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgHis first permanent post as music director of a major orchestra.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgHe led the San Francisco Symphony before moving to Boston.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgHis 29-year tenure was the longest of any music director in the orchestra's history.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgHe assembled the orchestra in memory of his teacher Hideo Saito; it later became the core of the Saito Kinen Festival in Matsumoto.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgHe moved to Vienna after leaving Boston and held the post until 2010.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgHe died of heart failure at his home in Tokyo at the age of 88.
Source: en.wikipedia.org